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Judy Amburgey-Peters is an assistant professor of chemistry. She joined the Wooster faculty in 1996 and conducts research in organic chemistry, NMR spectroscopy, and protein-membrane interactions. Amburgey-Peters received her B.S., summa cum laude, from Georgetown College and her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She has broad research experience from her sabbatical at The Ohio State University, as an industrial research scientist, and as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland-Baltimore. Amburgey-Peters has published articles in scientific journals, including Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry, and has presented her research at the National ACS Organic Symposium and at several colleges and universities. She is a member of Project Kaleidoscope, the American Chemical Society (ACS), and since 1997, an officer of the Wooster ACS Section. In 1999, she received the Research Corporation’s Cottrell College Science Award and was a co-investigator on the NSF Major Research Instrumentation Grant for a 400 MHz NMR spectrometer at Wooster. In 2001, she was honored at Indiana University’s Symposium for Excellence in Undergraduate Chemical Research. Her curricular activities focus on organic chemistry. She is also involved in science outreach programs including the Flinn Scientific Summer Workshop for High School Chemistry Teachers. |
Principles of Good Nutrition
The College of Wooster’s First-Year Seminar Program is designed to help students develop critical thinking skills while studying topics that are interesting, original, and thought-provoking. One of those seminars is "Cheeseburger in Paradise," which focuses on general nutrition. The class is taught by Judy Amburgey-Peters, assistant professor of chemistry, who shares some fundamental principles of good nutrition. What is considered good nutrition by today’s standards? Most experts agree that the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) food pyramid is a good place to start. Even though recent discussions suggest that some modifications to the details of the pyramid may be in order, the overall message is the same. Good nutrition arises from consuming a wide variety of foods that have undergone limited processing. However, that’s not the whole story. Good health also depends on a balance of how much we eat. Are preservatives or artificial additives of any consequence to people who have an otherwise healthy diet? I am not aware of specific health hazards related to consuming preservatives or artificial additives in moderation. The key word here is moderation. In this day and age, I do not think it is practical, or even desirable, to eliminate all preservatives and additives. However, most nutrition experts agree that fewer processed foods, closer to their natural state, are the foundation of a healthy diet. Also implicit in this message, we need to be aware of what we are eating. I am not overly paranoid about what I eat, but I do try to be aware. If I have recently had an order of french fries and a soda, then I choose dark green leafy vegetables and water. What kinds of foods and eating habits should be avoided? In general, experts agree that highly processed foods that are high in fat, sodium, and/or processed sugars should be consumed in limited quantities. Notice I did not say eliminated completely, which leads me to the eating habits that should be avoided. A good guiding principle is "moderation in all things." The best approach to good nutrition is balance in the major macronutrients – carbohydrates, fats, and proteins – by eating a wide variety of, yes, you guessed it, relatively unprocessed foods. What has fast food done to our nutritional habits? It’s not so much what fast food has done to our nutritional habits, as what our lifestyles have done to make fast food so popular. A complete answer requires a sociological-psychological-physiological-spiritual-economic analysis of today’s society. But here’s a short answer: More people are working away from home. Consequently, fewer people have time to plan, shop, and cook to provide a balanced diet. When we are away from home, we are likely to grab something on the go. According to the USDA document "America’s Eating Habits: Changes and Consequences," in 1970 Americans spent 25% of their total food budget away from home. This increased to 40% by 1995. However, eating out is not the problem. Lack of knowledge and freedom to choose are the culprits. Many of us do not have a good understanding of nutritional basics. Furthermore, even if we do know, we do not always follow through. How does nutrition in the United States compare with other developed countries? This is a difficult question to answer with certainty. Compared to other developed countries, we consume a larger percentage of our food away from home. Eating more food away from home could negatively impact our overall nutritional quality. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) regularly exposes the high fat, saturated fat, and sodium contents of many menu items in popular restaurants. We could conclude that our consumption of food away from home causes our overall nutrition to be worse than other developed countries. However, if we choose smaller portions of less processed foods when eating out, then this conclusion would not hold true. My opinion is that collectively our nutritional habits are worse than the collective nutritional habits in many other developed countries. Have parents become too lax in monitoring their children's nutritional habits? It’s not so much that parents have become lax in monitoring their children’s food intake, as it is that they have become lax in monitoring their own. A child’s nutritional habits are certainly learned from their environment. A child’s nutritional education cannot be "do as I say, not as I do." How does nutrition in the United States compare with other developed countries? This is a difficult question to answer with certainty. Compared to other developed countries, we consume a larger percentage of our food away from home. Eating more food away from home could negatively impact our overall nutritional quality. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) regularly exposes the high fat, saturated fat, and sodium contents of many menu items in popular restaurants. We could conclude that our consumption of food away from home causes our overall nutrition to be worse than other developed countries. However, if we choose smaller portions of less processed foods when eating out, then this conclusion would not hold true. My opinion is that collectively our nutritional habits are worse than the collective nutritional habits in many other developed countries. What are the most effective ways to change eating habits? Alas, if I had a quick, effective answer to this question, I would be rich and famous. The general consensus seems to be gradual behavior modifications that progressively establish a healthier way of life. A healthy way of life is not just what you eat, but your activity level, and your general sense of well being. |
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| Last updated: January 12, 2006 · For more information, contact John Finn | ||
